Opportunities for pharmacists as managers: perceptions of senior executives in the pharmaceutical industry.

OBJECTIVE: To determine how senior-level executives in the pharmaceutical industry perceive pharmacists as managers in their industry. DESIGN: Mailed survey. Senior executive officers of 72 companies who were members of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers' Association indicated in which of 47 different areas an entry-level pharmacy degree would be beneficial for management positions. RESULTS: 40 responses (56%) were received after a follow-up mailing. The areas chosen most frequently were product development and quality control in pharmaceutics (88%), formulation (88%), drug information (88%), quality assurance (85%), pharmaceutics in research (83%), and product management (83%). The 25% of respondents who had a pharmacy background chose more areas where a pharmacy degree would be beneficial (t = 6.87, df = 38, p < .05) than did nonpharmacists. CONCLUSION: To the extent that senior executives represent the current culture and the future direction of the pharmaceutical industry, pharmacists have a variety of career opportunities within pharmaceutical companies.

The relationship between pharmacy practice setting and job design.

The context in which pharmacists work has changed over the history of the profession from a majority working as independent shopkeepers to the present situation in which an increasingly larger number of pharmacists work as employees in a variety of work settings. This study examines differences in the effectiveness of work design within these work settings. A nationwide survey was conducted to determine differences between independent, hospital and chain pharmacy settings. Significant differences were observed for aspects of job satisfaction, job/organization involvement, turnover, and professionalism. Evidence is presented for recognition of a need for a differentiated job design for practicing pharmacists.